APC Chieftain Hails State Police Bill, Calls for Abuse Checks

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Ayodele Arise, has commended President Bola Tinubu and the National Assembly for the swift passage of the State Police Bill, describing it as a significant step towards addressing Nigeria’s growing security challenges.

Arise, who represented Ekiti North Senatorial District in the Senate between 2007 and 2011, gave the commendation during a press conference in Abuja on Thursday.

The Senate on Wednesday passed the State Police Bill, joining the House of Representatives in approving the legislation to establish state police services nationwide.

If endorsed by at least 24 State Houses of Assembly, the bill will end the Federal Government’s exclusive control of policing and empower states to establish, fund and manage their own police services within national standards set by the National Assembly.

Speaking with journalists, Arise said the proposed decentralized policing structure would strengthen local security architecture and improve responses to emerging security threats.

“It is a very welcome development. Having state police is a much-needed measure to reduce the security threats we face in the country,” he said.

“There is no way security challenges will be completely eliminated. But kudos to Mr. President for being very proactive on this issue as we continue to battle insecurity across the country.”

According to the former lawmaker, local police personnel are better positioned to secure communities because they possess a deeper understanding of the people, terrain and peculiar security dynamics of their areas.

“So, local police, which normally consist of people from the local area serving as security agents on behalf of the government, already know the community and the people who reside there. They know the nooks and crannies of those communities,” Arise stated.

He noted that state policing would enhance intelligence gathering and complement the efforts of federal security agencies in tackling insecurity nationwide.

Reacting to concerns that state governors could misuse state police for political purposes, Arise acknowledged that such fears were legitimate but expressed confidence that constitutional safeguards could prevent abuse.

He stressed the need for adequate checks and balances before the new policing system becomes operational.

“Many of the objections are legitimate concerns, but most federal systems around the world, such as those in the United States and Canada, operate multi-layered policing structures successfully,” he said.

Arise suggested that the appointment of state police chiefs should not rest solely with governors. Instead, he proposed the establishment of state police commissions to recommend candidates, with final appointments subject to legislative ratification.

“Someone like me would suggest that in appointing the Police Chief, there should be input from the legislature. A state police commission can recommend two or three names for the governor to choose from, and the choice should then be passed to the state legislature for ratification,” he added.

The State Police Bill is considered one of the most far-reaching security reforms under the ongoing constitutional amendment process, with supporters arguing that decentralised policing will address local security concerns more effectively, while critics continue to raise concerns about potential political interference by state governments.